superheroes in our midst

[wushuguy]

saw this article on cnn, don't know if you guys already saw it, but thought it was pretty interesting.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/06/04/real.life.superheroes/index.html

 

[Omar B]

Yeah, the real life superhero thing is becoming big. http://www.worldsuperheroregistry.com/

 

[Gordon Nore]

This is a promo for Space, a cable channel in Canada devoted to space and science fiction. This video always gives me a chuckle.

 

[Omar B]

Read this forum for a couple mins. It's really interesting. They have their hearts in the right place but one of them is gonna end up hurt. Especially check out the few topics they have dealing with martial arts and gear. http://www.therlsh.net/

 

[Joab]

Well, anyone can walk around in funny clothes and call themselves a super hero, but they seem like misfits to me with no super powers. I think super heroes only exist in the fantasy world, you can't become a super hero in reality.

 

[wushuguy]

I think their ideas have come from watching too many movies. Mystery Men comes to mind.
If really want to help, it takes some real training, not just the will or desire and some gadgets. Also, there's many issues that would be involved, like what if the so called superhero happens upon a man being beaten by another. who should he help? most would say defend the one being beaten... but what if the one being beaten was the robber who met a martial artist who beat him for trying to rob... etc. even police officers who go to a scuffle don't know who is the "good guy" or the "bad guy"

I don't think those self designated superheros have training or very little training, let alone would be able to do the right thing all the time. If really want to do good, should learn how to take care of family, protect friends and family only if need be... the search for criminals to "bring them to justice", that's the policeman's job.

 

[JadecloudAlchemist]

I once belong to a group of people who wanted to be real X-men.

I joined the group in Highschool as an easy way to meet girls(cultish girls are easy)

I did the same thing with a girl and her church youth group.

I'll do anything for girls.:uhyeah:

 

[zDom]

I have to agree that they are, in reality, just costumed vigilantes and/or Neighborhood Watch members.

"Superhero" indicates either superhuman powers (Spiderman, Superman) or equipment plus extraordinary skill giving them abilities FAR beyond normal heroes (Iron Man, Batman).

Reckon they need to start rolling around in some radioactive goo and hope for the best

 

[Xue Sheng]

Reckon they need to start rolling around in some radioactive goo and hope for the best

That only works on Turtles...oh and Rats

 

[Wild Bill]

I think their ideas have come from watching too many movies. Mystery Men comes to mind.
If really want to help, it takes some real training, not just the will or desire and some gadgets. Also, there's many issues that would be involved, like what if the so called superhero happens upon a man being beaten by another. who should he help? most would say defend the one being beaten... but what if the one being beaten was the robber who met a martial artist who beat him for trying to rob... etc. even police officers who go to a scuffle don't know who is the "good guy" or the "bad guy"

I don't think those self designated superheros have training or very little training, let alone would be able to do the right thing all the time. If really want to do good, should learn how to take care of family, protect friends and family only if need be... the search for criminals to "bring them to justice", that's the policeman's job.

I am following this right now. It is about a stupid kid trying to be a real superhero.

 

[Omar B]

"Kick-***" is actually a comic written by Mark Waid about the subject of real world superheroes. It's hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time. They actually created a clip of Kick-*** getting beaten up (the same beating that happens in the comic) and put it on Youtube because that's a plot point int he comic that he gains notoriety not from being a hero but from getting the snot kicked out of him online.
http://www.marvel.com/news/comicstories.2793.Kick-Ass_#1_Returns_With_A_Second_Printing~excl~

 

[Flea]

On one level I think it's very uplifting that people want to Rise Above and serve their communities like that. As for the costumes? If I saw someone dressed like that coming towards me I think I'd cross the street. We have a lot of mental illness in my neighborhood ... :uhyeah:

 

[Omar B]

I've got a problem with the "superhero" title. There's a marked difference between superheros and heros in comics. The newspapers and maybe these people themselves might be apart of this. Superhero denotes some super-human ability like Superman whereas Batman, Iron Man, Punisher are heroes.

 

[Andy Moynihan]

I would class the Punisher as an anti hero. His single element of his character that keeps him from being able to be called a "villain" is that he *will not* take the lives of innocents.

 

[Omar B]

I would class the Punisher as an anti hero. His single element of his character that keeps him from being able to be called a "villain" is that he *will not* take the lives of innocents.

Yeah, I wanted to avoid the whole hero/anti-hero complication of my argument. Guys like Punisher, Moon Knight are anti heroes but for my argument's sake they were the alternative to superhero.

 

[matt.m]

I don't know guys, when I was sitting across from Scott O'Grady after helping pick him up in 95 after being shot down he called all us Marines "Super Heroes". A hero goes out of his way to do good deeds, a super hero, aka the troops who fight for liberty, do so at the ring of the batphone period without question.

Going to get beat on and shot at for strangers in a country you don't speak their language is pretty super hero to me.

 

[Joab]

I don't know guys, when I was sitting across from Scott O'Grady after helping pick him up in 95 after being shot down he called all us Marines "Super Heroes". A hero goes out of his way to do good deeds, a super hero, aka the troops who fight for liberty, do so at the ring of the batphone period without question.

Going to get beat on and shot at for strangers in a country you don't speak their language is pretty super hero to me.

There heroes without super powers.

 

[celtic_crippler]

It's like anything else, conducted within certain limits much good can come of it. Public service to help homeless shelters, soup lines, the elderly, neighborhood watch, etc...is a good thing.

But to the extreme it can do more harm than good. About the time one of these folks begins to take their role past reality and gets hurt, gets someone else hurt, or worse...the negative repercussions are likely to overshadow any good they have done or could do.

 

[Omar B]

They seem like a VERY visible neighborhood watch as Celtic said. That's gotta help right. I just can't be the guy who talks crap about people trying to help and do the right thing.

 

[Ronin74]

I plan to be Baseball Bat Man, and deliver justice at the end of a Louisville Slugger... lol. J/K

Seriously, the costumes are a bit much. I think the idea of helping others is a great thing, but are costumes really necessary? I don't think so. The whole costume thing screams of attention whore. "Hey! Look at me! I'm helping someone!"